While I have been a team manager off and on my youngest child's hockey team years, I picked up many lessons that have changed me as a person.
"No I in team"
This is a very strong statement, one that can not only be used in sporting events, group get togethers but mostly in your daily life. I will reflect on this towards relationships. Although writing here, at times I find articulating my feelings in life can be difficult. Past experiences have hindered how I can communicate and it's a daily challenge.
Teams are in relationships more often than we recognize. I will say for sure that words such as "I", me and mine" can throw me through a loop. When you are friends or partners in life, there should be none of that. Communication is key to learning about others, listening being the most important.
I cannot stress enough, to make a relationship work you need to listen more than you talk. Words cut much further and can change the direction in which you want to go. When you are caught in a moment of frustration, don't use words but take a few moments and reflect. Focus on the good, look towards something that can be amazing and try your best to hear, truly hear what the other is saying. Then respond with kindness. Try to see the others perspective and let your hurt go.
Anything in life that causes anger, is destructive and this is the last emotion I will ever allow in my life. So, don't live life with the " I , me or mine", live it as a "we, us and ours" This is what builds a strong and healthy team.
Some days are harder than others. Faith can be taken away by a simple breath, a word or an action. It's difficult to believe that tomorrow can be better but you have to have faith.
Not everyone has the best of intention for you, for others. The key is to keep having faith in yourself. Stay strong to you, your values and your beliefs. What others do, well it's simply their choice. You cannot change them or make one do what you want.
Just be truest to you.
I cannot always have faith in another. It's difficult to know this but it's the simple truth.
My simple rules in life though? I'll give everyone a fair shift.
You know, I'll trust you, be kind and give you my all. It may hurt me at times when things change and you choose to do or say something but, in the end, I can say I've done my best and I can live with my choices. I know for certain that I learn from each opportunity, good or bad. I'll just not give it more than a second chance. After that, I know it's just not to be.
If you are struggling with giving trust, just take a step forward. Don't worry about the possible pain or anguish. Just go for it and see where the leap takes you. My friend Danielle keeps telling me, "sometimes, the risk is worth the reward."
I sure hope she's right.
Deep inside, you believe it is true. No matter what they've told you, what you've been hiding inside is possible and you know, without a doubt .. you can.
It doesn't matter how much someone might squish your thoughts, your beliefs, mostly your values. If you have it inside (and I'll take a gander you do), that little whisper will grow into something much louder than you can anticipate.
It will grow slowly, it will snowball and it will conquer ..
every.
single.
doubt.
You will gain the momentum and you will become more than what they or you ever thought possible.
What can I say for certain? That no matter how difficult it is in this moment, it's harder to look back and see that you gave up. That no matter how much the voice kept trying to cheer you on, you let the fear and doubt define you.
Get back up. Dust off your knees and keep moving forward. Nothing, and I say NOTHING is harder to look at when you see yourself in the mirror and know you gave up again. You are stronger than you think you are. Be who you know you can be.
Exposure is, quite simply a key to learning about empathy. I cannot stress enough about how my life has unfolded and become what it is today. I am, most certainly not the woman I was 10 years ago much less the girl I was at the age of 10.
My gratitude to this date is overwhelming and can be focused on all of my life experiences. From having emergency foster children in our home starting when I was around 5 years of age to last night, serving food at one of our many homeless shelters.
What I know for sure is that I cannot live a life where I would stop doing what I do now. Trust me when I say, it's not for glory or praise but for a simple reminder. Inside, my fears and doubts when I feel things are about to implode and crumble, it reminds me just how things just are.
I want you to take a moment, be in it and live it. Truthfully, life can be stressful but take away all your wants.
Step back from the things and ask yourself; Are you safe, warm, fed and clothed? If you can say yes to those, then count your blessings. Breathe deeply, love completely and live your life to the fullest.
Fear is a big controller of our actions, from not allowing someone to love us, to anger towards another. Go ahead, expose yourself so that you can learn about empathy. Open up your heart a bit to someone or something. Before you know it, you'll start living a happier life, full of things you never thought possible.
